A MATTER OF CONFIDENCE

 

Liz Saville Roberts MP: 'We need the confidence to build our own future'https://t.co/UmeePOabZQ pic.twitter.com/5U1jGsrfow

— WalesOnline (@WalesOnline) March 6, 2021

NOT QUITE A SURPRISE

The news that the UK Treasury has finally announced that the £4.8 billion "levelling up fund" for local projects will now be UK-wide, not England only. This means that Westminster ministers will decide how some of the cash is spent on schemes such as regeneration projects in Wales. 

Even the normally inert Welsh Government, has accused the Westminster government of aggressively undermining devolution. The announcement of £4 billion for England last year triggered an extra £800 million for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

However, the Treasury now says it will run the fund for all four UK nations rather than hand any extra cash to the devolved governments. The UK chancellor's Spending Review, had previously announced thats the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland would have been able to decide what to do with their share of the £800 million. 

To be honest I accent say atheist I am that surprised by this announcement, so much for the BREXIT dividend coming our way without some serious strings being attached. The simple bottom line is that any funds allocated to Cymru / Wales are spent and on what, should be decided here in Cymru / Wales, rathe the  in Westminster.

CHOOSING INDEPENDENCE

Yesterday (on Saturday) at a  Special Conference on independence, Plaid Cymru members overwhelmingly backed a pledge that means that Plaid Cymru will offer a Welsh independence referendum within the first term of Government should it be able to command a majority following this year’s Senedd elections.

Now this is not simply a case of a bunch of constitutional nerds seeking to win independence for independence’s sake, but rather for the sake of the thousands of families whose futures depend on Wales becoming a fairer, more equal nation. 

This literally makes Plaid Cymru the only political party contesting the 2021 Senedd elections that will have a manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on Welsh Independence within a clear timetable. 

This is a weighty endorsement of Plaid’s unwavering belief that sovereignty lies with the people of Wales and not with Westminster. 

This means that the people of Wales can decide their constitutional future - by the middle of this decade – we all now have a clear roadmap for a free and fair nation.

The existing devolution settlement and the powers that Cymru / Wales has could be used to make things better - the problem is that they are simply being used for administrative purposes by a Labour in Wales government that lacks the will, the imagination and the vision to change Cymru / Wales for the better. 

As has been said before, we are living in very uncertain times, the only real certainty is that we can do far better than this, better than tolerating the status quo. 

More of the same is simply not an option. 

The covid crisis has shown that Cymru / Wales couldn’t have its own furlough scheme, nor could we have maximum flexibility in terms of the support we could offer various sectors throughout the crisis. 

With economic independence, we can have the freedom to tailor our response to Cymru / Wales’s specific needs, rather than the ‘square peg in a round hole’ approach forced upon us by in indifferent Westminster. 

The current Conservative Westminster government is aiming to undermine, weaken and destroy even the flawed devolutionary settlement that we have, there will  be no federalist option, and no new powers devolved to anywhere, let alone Cymru / Wales. 

The centralists are back with a vengeance - the only option as going for independence. For the first time independence and its timetable will be on the ballot paper in a Welsh General Election, reflecting the growing confidence in our ability to run our own affairs. 

To those who tired of the waffle and short-term thinking and the cronyism from Westminster, for those who want to break free from the decaying union, we have a clear offer. 

A Plaid Cymru led government which secures a Senedd majority vote will deliver an independence referendum in its first term – giving the people of Cymru / Wales the right to decide on their own future. 

With an independent Scotland and a united Ireland ever more likely by the end of the decade, the people of Wales deserve an opportunity to decide whether we too want that independent future, we deserve the opportunity to choose our future, rather than life in the past.  

A WALES THAT WORKS

Plaid Leader unveils plan for “rapid recovery” post-Covid

 

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS has today unveiled his party’s plan for a “rapid recovery” in the wake of the Covid pandemic, outlining plans to create more than 60,000 jobs through a low-carbon infrastructure stimulus.

 

Mr Price promised an “unrelenting focus on protecting livelihoods” in a 8-point plan focused on fresh ideas and new priorities.

 

With a promise to deliver a post pandemic recovery that sees Wales “working faster and smarter than the pandemic response” – a Plaid Cymru government would guarantee employment for 16- to 24-year-olds, build thousands of green new homes and prioritise small and medium sized Welsh businesses.

 

Adam Price added that the “ambitious but deliverable” raft of measures “should have been brought in years ago had the Labour Welsh Government shown a greater urgency to build a resilient economy.”

 

Unveiling the Re-Build Wales Rapid Recovery Plan – Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS said:

 

“The Welsh economy is facing its biggest challenge for a generation. With unemployment due to reach 120,000 by the summer, we need an urgent alternative economic strategy which will not only create jobs but also support the thousands of businesses facing bankruptcy as a result of the pandemic.

 

“We will learn lessons and ensure that the post pandemic recovery sees Wales working faster and smarter than the pandemic response – with an unrelenting focus on protecting livelihoods.

 

“This is an ambitious but deliverable raft of measures which should have been brought in years ago had the Labour Welsh Government shown a greater urgency to build a resilient economy.

 

“Within its first few hours, a Plaid Cymru government would announce a £6 billion green economic stimulus, creating almost 60,000 jobs through tasking the National Infrastructure Commission with delivering shovel-ready investable projects.

 

“These could include building thousands of new social homes, retrofitting existing homes, expanding and electrifying the rail network, and delivering the fastest broadband to all parts of Wales.

 

“We would introduce a Welsh Youth Guarantee giving secure employment to every 16–24-year-olds on at least a Living Wage, zero-interest loans to get businesses back on their feet, and a reskilling programme giving those who were recently made redundant a £5,000 retraining allowance.  

 

“A Plaid government would also implement a new ‘local first’ procurement policy to give preference to small and medium-sized local businesses - setting a target of increasing Welsh firms’ share of public procurement from 52% to 75% - creating up to 46,000 jobs.”

 

ENDS